Police in Satkhira made no attempt to arrest Fazlul Haq Amini, prime accused in the lynching of Wahiduzzaman Shamim triggered by a Facebook post, while he was publicly present in the area.
Even after going into hiding, Amini has remained active on Facebook, expressing no remorse over the incident and remaining proud of his actions.
Although a murder case was filed at midnight on Thursday, 48 hours after the death, police are refusing to provide a copy of the First Information Report (FIR) to journalists.
HM Shahin, officer-in-charge of Debhata Police Station, claimed that handing over the FIR copy or disclosing the names and identities of the accused would hamper efforts to arrest the suspects.
Questions have been raised regarding the role of police since the incident occurred on Tuesday evening, when an excited crowd gathered and held a procession before pulling Shamim from a village doctor’s chamber and beating him.
After police rescued Shamim and admitted him to a hospital, a second attack took place inside the medical facility, where law enforcement agency made no attempt to intervene.
Active online from hiding
Locals said Amini remained publicly present in the area until Thursday evening prior to the filing of the case. After police arrested two individuals, Amini went missing and switched off his phone.
However, he continues to post frequently from his Facebook account under the name FH Amini, maintaining that he does not care and showing no repentance.
Amini, a resident of Dakshin Parulia village in Debhata upazila, previously served as an imam in several local mosques. He also serves as president of an organisation named Motorcycle Drivers Association, whose members transport passengers for hire in the area.
The murder case was filed by Abdul Jalil Sana, the victim’s elder brother, naming 10 individuals alongside 200 to 250 unidentified persons. Police said they have arrested Mostar Hossain Khan, listed as accused number five, and Asadul Islam Mollya, listed as accused number six.
HM Shahin, officer-in-charge of Debhata Police Station, said police operations were ongoing to apprehend the remaining accused. The police official refused to provide the FIR copy or disclose the names of the accused, claiming it was for the sake of arrests.
Writing in a Facebook post from hiding, Amini wrote, “I will not be among you, I could be arrested at any time, but keep me in your prayers. Even if the whole world makes bad comments about me, it does not matter if Allah Almighty forgives me.”
Social media incitement, hospital attack
According to Abdul Jalil, Shamim was suffering from mental health issues. On Monday evening, Shamim used various abusive words during a quarrel with his wife, which a local resident recorded and circulated on social media.
The following afternoon, Amini went live on Facebook, claiming the audio contained derogatory remarks about Islam and inciting local residents by accusing Shamim of defaming religion.
Jalil said a group of people subsequently vandalised the gate of Shamim’s house. The crowd then pulled Shamim from a village doctor’s chamber and dragged him to Subornabad Bazar, where he was subjected to a beating.
After a local resident called the national emergency number 999, police rescued Shamim and admitted him to the upazila health hospital.
Under Amini’s leadership, a second assault took place inside the hospital, where Shamim was slammed against a wall and severely beaten. Police later transferred Shamim to Satkhira Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
Following the killing, Amini posted on Facebook, “Whenever a neighbour or anyone spoke to him, he would speak against Islam. Today, devout Muslims gave him a mass beating and sent him away from this world.”
Shamim is survived by two sons, with the elder son aged 12 years and the younger son aged seven to eight months.
